Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has committed to delivering a new deal for tenants and to consulting on the options, deliver legislation and implementing an effective national system of rent controls by the end of 2025.

Our aim is to ensure quality, affordability and fairness for everyone who rents their homes and we will set out our proposals for taking this work forward in our forthcoming rented sector strategy which we aim to publish for consultation by the end of this calendar year.

Tenant participation is at the heart of our work to develop the Strategy and we are working in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Tenants Information Service and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, as well as existing tenant groups, to understand tenants’ lived experiences and hear their views.

Alongside the views of tenants and stakeholders who respond to the consultation on the strategy, we will consider a wide range of information, evidence and expert views on rent controls, including examining international comparisons, to inform the policy development of this important area of work.

We are committed to ensuring that police and local authorities continue to have the powers and resources needed to further reduce antisocial behaviour in our communities, including investing in prevention and early intervention.

Criminal Law (Consolidation) Scotland Act 1995 Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, section 96 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, section 18 - 22 of the Public Order Act 1986 and section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 provide both Police Scotland and local authorities with sufficient existing powers to tackle instances of antisocial behaviour. The Scottish Government continues to support Police Scotland and local authorities in using these powers appropriately and proportionately.

The Scottish Government is always open to looking at how we can improve the approach being taken to tackle antisocial behaviour for the benefit of all communities and we are currently engaging with the Scottish Community Safety Network (which has links into all of Scotland’s local authorities and Community Planning Partnerships) to use their expertise and knowledge to help to inform our approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.

Our definition of ‘good’ jobs is informed by the Fair Work Convention which defines Fair Work as offering effective voice, fulfilment, opportunity, respect and security. For workers, Fair Work means security of pay and contract, having a say in workplace decisions, and flexibility which allows for a good work-life balance. It also means more diverse and inclusive workplaces. We are currently consulting on how we will achieve our ambition to become a Fair Work Nation by 2025, aligning with the aims of a just transition to a wellbeing economy. The consultation will inform a review of our existing Fair Work priorities, and the important role Fair Work can play as part of Scotland’s economic recovery and renewal.

In contrast, there are many definitions of green jobs. For instance, the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan recognises three distinct categories of green jobs:

• New and emerging jobs that relate directly to the transition to net zero
• jobs affected by the transition to net zero that will need enhanced skills or competencies
• existing jobs that will be needed in greater numbers as the result of the transition to net zero

The first step is therefore to develop an approach that best reflects with Scotland’s industries and will help us to best quantify, and then maximise, the opportunities presented by our transition to net zero. Work within the Scottish Government is underway to develop a ‘green jobs’ definition that is appropriate for Scottish context and provide estimates on the number of green jobs that will be created.

As an example, the Heat in Buildings Strategy published on 7 October estimated that an additional 16,400 jobs could be supported across the economy in 2030 as a result of investment in the deployment of zero emissions heat.

The Scottish Government will publish its official response to the Independent Review into the Delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services today, 29 October 2021.

The Scottish Government is already working with partners to address the recommendations of the review. A Short Life Working Group is being established which will bring together key partners, to agree a clear plan for addressing the recommendations of the Independent Review aimed toward increased support for planning, collaboration and improvement of forensic mental health services in Scotland.

The group will not revisit the work of the Independent Review but will consider how best to address the issues that are already set out in the Review reports. It will be strictly time limited, with an expectation of its work concluding early in 2022.

The consultation ‘Use and Sale of Fireworks in Scotland, and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics’ ran from 20 June to 15 August 2021. The consultation consisted of two sections; the first sought views on proposed changes to how fireworks can be supplied and used in Scotland; while the second section considered the use of pyrotechnic devices.

Over 1,700 responses were received, with the majority submitted by individual members of the public, with stakeholder organisations including the emergency services, the fireworks industry and animal welfare organisations also responding. An analysis of consultation responses, undertaken by an independent contractor, will be published shortly.

Where permission was granted, responses have been published at https://consult.gov.scot/justice/use-and-sale-of-fireworks-in-scotland/consultation/published_select_respondent .

A Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Bill will be introduced to Parliament in Year One of this Parliamentary term to prevent harm in our communities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03374 on 25 October 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03453 on 21 October 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the use of animals in research and testing.

The use of animals in research and testing is an area of policy reserved to the United Kingdom government, and is overseen by the Home Office.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2021 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, and will come into force on 30 October 2021.

The Amendment Regulations provide that UNFCCC-accredited attendees to the COP26 Blue Zone will be deemed to be fully vaccinated, for the purposes of entering the COP26 Green Zone.

The Electricians Working Group last met on 29 October 2019 and discussed the proposed consultation on the regulation of electricians and on increasing consumer awareness about the use of electricians. Minutes of all meetings of the Electricians Working Group are available at https://www.gov.scot/groups/electricians-working-group/ .